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Coach confident Al Wasl can defend etisalat UAE National Football League title

The coach of champions Al Wasl believes his team has the character to mount one final challenge in an attempt to defend the title they won last season.

  • By Alaric Gomes, Senior Reporter
  • Published: 00:31 April 6, 2008
  • Gulf News

Dubai: The coach of champions Al Wasl believes his team has the character to mount one final challenge in an attempt to defend the title they won last season.

"There is no problem with my team. We have had a fantastic run for the last seven matches, and we need to keep up the pressure from now on," Al Wasl coach Jose Mario de Almeida Barros [Ze Mario] told Gulf News after his team's 1-1 draw against neighbours Al Nasr late on Friday.

Al Nasr opened the scoring in the fifth minute when Waleed Murad sent in a header off a Renato cross.

With their backs against the wall, Al Wasl found the equaliser in the 45th minute when Alexander Oliveira came up with a blistering run on the right and tapped in past a maze of defenders.

"This result is not good for us. But if you consider that we are in need of each and every point from now on, then we will take this as a fair result," Ze Mario stated.

"I believe we have the character to mount a challenge during these last few matches and successfully defend the title we won last season."

Skipper keeps faith

Al Wasl skipper Mohammad Salem Al Enazi has backed his team to put up a fight to retain the etisalat UAE National Football League title.

Al Wasl need to ensure they get maximum points and hope the front-runners stumble. "We need to see that we get three points in each of the remaining matches," Al Enazi said after his side's 1-1 away draw to Al Nasr late on Friday. "We now have our task cut out for the rest of the season."

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